Waiting notifications for videoconferencing sub-meetings

ABSTRACT

One example system for providing notifications to videoconferencing sub-meetings includes a processor and at least one memory device. The processor establishes a videoconferencing session associated with a host. The videoconferencing session can include a main meeting, a sub-meeting, and a waiting queue. The processor can move the host from the main meeting to the sub-meeting, and subsequently move a new participant into the waiting queue. The processor can generate a notification that the participant has entered the waiting queue and determine that the host has moved to the sub-meeting. The processor can route, to the host in the sub-meeting using a stored connection of the host to the main meeting, a notification of the participant entering the waiting queue, and subsequently allow the host to admit the new participant.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 17/244,583, filed Apr. 29, 2021, the entire disclosure of whichis incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present application generally relates to videoconferences and moreparticularly relates to systems and methods for managing participantswaiting to enter a videoconferencing meeting from a queue or waitingroom.

BACKGROUND

Videoconferencing has become a common way for people to meet as a group,but without being at the same physical location. Participants can beinvited to a videoconference meeting, join from their personal computersor telephones, and are able to see and hear each other and converselargely as they would during an in-person group meeting or event. Theadvent of user-friendly videoconferencing software has enabled teams towork collaboratively despite being dispersed around the country or theworld. It has also enabled families and friends to engage with eachother in more meaningful ways, despite being physically distant fromeach other.

SUMMARY

Various examples are described for systems and methods for providingwaiting notifications for videoconferencing sub-meetings. One examplesystem includes a processor and at least one memory device. The memorydevice includes instructions that are executable by the processor tocause the processor to establish a videoconferencing session associatedwith a host. The videoconferencing session includes a main meeting, afirst sub-meeting, and a waiting queue. The instructions further causethe processor to move the host from the main meeting to the firstsub-meeting, and to receive, from a client device, a request from aparticipant to join the videoconferencing session. The instructions alsocause the processor to move, in response to the request, the participantinto the waiting queue. The instructions cause the processor to generatea notification that the participant has entered the waiting queue anddetermine that the host has moved to the first sub-meeting. Theinstructions also cause the processor to route, to the host in the firstsub-meeting using a stored connection of the host to the main meeting, anotification of the participant entering the waiting queue.

One example method includes establishing a videoconferencing sessionassociated with a host. The videoconferencing session includes a mainmeeting, a first sub-meeting, and a waiting queue. The method furtherincludes moving the host from the main meeting to the first sub-meeting,and receiving, from a client device, a request from a participant tojoin the videoconferencing session. The method also includes moving, inresponse to the request, the participant into the waiting queue. Themethod includes generating a notification that the participant hasentered the waiting queue and determining that the host has moved to thefirst sub-meeting. The method further includes routing, to the host inthe first sub-meeting using a stored connection of the host to the mainmeeting, a notification of the participant entering the waiting queue.

One example non-transitory computer-readable medium includes code thatis executable by a processor for causing the processor to establish avideoconferencing session associated with a host. The videoconferencingsession includes a main meeting, a first sub-meeting, and a waitingqueue. The instructions are further executable to cause the processor tomove the host from the main meeting to the first sub-meeting, and toreceive, from a client device, a request from a participant to join thevideoconferencing session. The instructions are further executable tocause the processor to move, in response to the request, the participantinto the waiting queue. The instructions are further executable to causethe processor to generate a notification that the participant hasentered the waiting queue and determine that the host has moved to thefirst sub-meeting. The instructions are also executable to cause theprocessor to route, to the host in the first sub-meeting using a storedconnection of the host to the main meeting, a notification of theparticipant entering the waiting queue.

These illustrative examples are mentioned not to limit or define thescope of this disclosure, but rather to provide examples to aidunderstanding thereof. Illustrative examples are discussed in theDetailed Description, which provides further description. Advantagesoffered by various examples may be further understood by examining thisspecification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate one or more certain examples and,together with the description of the example, serve to explain theprinciples and implementations of the certain examples.

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate example systems to enable waiting notifications forvideoconferencing sub-meetings;

FIG. 6 illustrate example methods for providing waiting notificationsfor videoconferencing sub-meetings; and

FIG. 7 shows an example computing device suitable for use with anydisclosed systems or methods according to this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples are described herein in the context of systems and methods forproviding waiting notifications to a host in a videoconferencingsub-meeting. In some examples, a waiting queue can be managed from thevideoconferencing sub-meeting. Those of ordinary skill in the art willrealize that the following description is illustrative only and is notintended to be in any way limiting. Reference will now be made in detailto implementations of examples as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. The same reference indicators will be used throughout thedrawings and the following description to refer to the same or likeitems.

In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of theexamples described herein are shown and described. It will, of course,be appreciated that in the development of any such actualimplementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be madein order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliancewith application- and business-related constraints, and that thesespecific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from onedeveloper to another.

Videoconferencing systems enable their users to create and attendvideoconferences (or “meetings”) via various types of client devices.After joining a meeting, the participants receive audio and videostreams or feeds (or “multimedia” streams or feeds) from the otherparticipants and are presented with views of the video feeds from one ormore of the other participants and audio from the audio feeds. Usingthese different modalities, the participants can see and hear eachother, engage more deeply, and generally have a richer experiencedespite not being physically in the same space.

To create a meeting, a person (referred to as the “host” or “meetinghost”) accesses the videoconferencing system, creates a new meeting, andidentifies one or more other people to invite to the meeting. Inresponse to the host creating the meeting, the videoconference systemestablishes the meeting by creating a meeting identifier and, ifdesired, a passcode or other access control information. The host canthen send the meeting identifier (and access control information) toeach of the invitees, such as by email. Once the meeting is started, theinvitees can then access and join the meeting using the meetingidentifier and any provided access control information. The initial, ormain host can, in some systems, make another participant a co-host. Forpurposes of the discussion herein, the term “host” encompasses hosts andco-hosts. Hosts can manage and control the videoconferencing session.This control and management typically includes managing sub-meetings,sometimes referred to as “breakout rooms.”

Sub-meeting commands may include commands to start a sub-meeting, moveparticipants into a sub-meeting, move participants out of a sub-meeting,or end the sub-meeting. In addition to managing sub-meetings by issuingcommands, a host can enter a sub-meeting in order to participate in anydiscussion or exchanges taking place in the sub-meeting.

The control and management exercised by a videoconference host can alsoinclude admitting participants from a waiting queue, sometimes referredto as a waiting room or a lobby. Participants who have been invited orotherwise seek to join a videoconferencing session, once authenticated,can optionally be placed in a waiting queue to wait for a host toexpressly admit them to the videoconferencing session. This waitingqueue function provides a layer of security against individuals who seekto join a videoconferencing session by mistake, or for nefariousreasons, by allowing the host to verify that the participant is expectedor at least welcome before allowing the participant into thevideoconferencing meeting from the waiting queue. However, since themain meeting and sub-meetings, once created, take place independently,waiting queue notification messages intended for a host may not bereceived by the host when the host is in a sub-meeting. In particular,because the waiting queue is a queue to enter the main meeting,notifications sent from the waiting queue are sent to the main meeting.However, if the host is not in the main meeting, but instead has movedto a sub-meeting, the host will not receive the notification.

To provide more versatility and convenience for waiting queuenotifications and for managing the waiting queue for videoconferencingmeetings, a videoconferencing system according to this disclosureenables a host or co-host in a sub-meeting to receive a notificationthat a participant has entered the waiting queue to the main meeting.Such a notification may be referred to herein as a “waitingnotification.” Furthermore, the videoconferencing system enables thehost or co-host to remain in the sub-meeting and provide control inputto the system to admit a participant from the waiting queue into thevideoconferencing meeting. The participant may also be moved to asub-meeting while the host or co-host managing the waiting queue remainsin the same or a different sub-meeting. The participant can be moved toa sub-meeting either based on a stored pre-assignment or based oncontrol input received from a host.

A videoconferencing system can provide notifications to a host in asub-meeting by maintaining a stored list of meeting connections for eachparticipant in a videoconferencing meeting, including hosts. The storedconnections include a connection of each host (including co-hosts, ifany) to the main meeting of the videoconferencing session. Theconnection of the host to the main meeting ensures that the host istreated as part of the main meeting for messaging purposes, even whenthe host is participating in a sub-meeting. The host can thus receivenotifications from and provide control input to the system in the samemanner as when the host is in the main meeting of the videoconferencingsession.

The techniques disclosed herein for providing waiting notifications forvideoconferencing sub-meetings provide convenience to users. Withoutprovision for waiting notifications to a host while the host is in asub-meeting, a host would need to return to the main meeting at regularintervals to determine if a participant is in the waiting queue seekingadmission to the videoconferencing session. Providing for control inputfrom a host while in a sub-meeting in order for the host to manage thewaiting queue by admitting (or denying) access to the videoconferencingsession by participants in the waiting queue provides furtherconvenience to users. These features reduce waiting time for meetingparticipants in the waiting queue, and reduce the effort and burden onhosts managing videoconferencing meetings.

This illustrative example is given to introduce the reader to thegeneral subject matter discussed herein and the disclosure is notlimited to this example. The following sections describe variousadditional non-limiting examples and examples of systems and methods forproviding notifications to and managing a waiting queue fromvideoconferencing sub-meetings.

Referring now to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 shows an example system 100 thatprovides videoconferencing functionality to various client devices. Thesystem 100 includes a video conference provider 110 that is connected tomultiple communication networks 120, 130, through which various clientdevices 140-180 can participate in videoconferences hosted by the videoconference provider 110. For example, the video conference provider 110can be located within a private network to provide videoconferencingservices to devices within the private network, or it can be connectedto a public network, e.g., the internet, so it may be accessed byanyone. Some examples may even provide a hybrid model in which a videoconference provider 110 may supply components to enable a privateorganization to host private internal videoconferences or to connect itssystem to the video conference provider 110 over a public network.

The system optionally also includes one or more user identity providers,e.g., user identity provider 115, which can provide user identityservices to users of the client devices 140-160 and may authenticateuser identities of one or more users to the video conference provider110. In this example, the user identity provider 115 is operated by adifferent entity than the video conference provider 110, though in someexamples, they may be the same entity.

Video conference provider 110 allows clients to create videoconferencemeetings (or “meetings”) and invite others to participate in thosemeetings as well as perform other related functionality, such asrecording the meetings, generating transcripts from meeting audio,manage user functionality in the meetings, enable text messaging duringthe meetings, create and manage breakout rooms from the main meeting,etc. FIG. 2, described below, provides a more detailed description ofthe architecture and functionality of the video conference provider 110.

To create a meeting with the video conference provider 110, a user maycontact the video conference provider 110 using a client device 140-180and select an option to create a new meeting. Such an option may beprovided in a webpage accessed by a client device 140-160 or clientapplication executed by a client device 140-160. For telephony devices,the user may be presented with an audio menu that they may navigate bypressing numeric buttons on their telephony device. To create themeeting, the video conference provider 110 may prompt the user forcertain information, such as a date, time, and duration for the meeting,a number of participants, a type of encryption to use, whether themeeting is confidential or open to the public, etc. After receiving thevarious meeting settings, the video conference provider may create arecord for the meeting and generate a meeting identifier and, in someexamples, a corresponding meeting password or passcode (or otherauthentication information), all of which meeting information isprovided to the meeting host.

After receiving the meeting information, the user may distribute themeeting information to one or more users to invite them to the meeting.To begin the meeting at the scheduled time (or immediately, if themeeting was set for an immediate start), the host provides the meetingidentifier and, if applicable, corresponding authentication information(e.g., a password or passcode). The videoconference system theninitiates the meeting and may admit users to the meeting. Depending onthe options set for the meeting, the users may be admitted immediatelyupon providing the appropriate meeting identifier (and authenticationinformation, as appropriate), even if the host has not yet arrived, orthe users may be presented with information indicating the that meetinghas not yet started or the host may be required to specifically admitone or more of the users.

During the meeting, the participants may employ their client devices140-180 to capture audio or video information and stream thatinformation to the video conference provider 110. They also receiveaudio or video information from the video conference provider 210, whichis displayed by the respective client device 140 to enable the varioususers to participate in the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, the host may select an option to terminatethe meeting, or it may terminate automatically at a scheduled end timeor after a predetermined duration. When the meeting terminates, thevarious participants are disconnected from the meeting and they will nolonger receive audio or video streams for the meeting (and will stoptransmitting audio or video streams). The video conference provider 110may also invalidate the meeting information, such as the meetingidentifier or password/passcode.

To provide such functionality, one or more client devices 140-180 maycommunicate with the video conference provider 110 using one or morecommunication networks, such as network 120 or the public switchedtelephone network (“PSTN”) 130. The client devices 140-180 may be anysuitable computing or communications device that have audio or videocapability. For example, client devices 140-160 may be conventionalcomputing devices, such as desktop or laptop computers having processorsand computer-readable media, connected to the video conference provider110 using the internet or other suitable computer network. Suitablenetworks include the internet, any local area network (“LAN”), metroarea network (“MAN”), wide area network (“WAN”), cellular network (e.g.,3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, etc.), or any combination of these. Other types ofcomputing devices may be used instead or as well, such as tablets,smartphones, and dedicated videoconferencing equipment. Each of thesedevices may provide both audio and video capabilities and may enable oneor more users to participate in a videoconference meeting hosted by thevideo conference provider 110.

In addition to the computing devices discussed above, client devices140-180 may also include one or more telephony devices, such as cellulartelephones (e.g., cellular telephone 170), internet protocol (“IP”)phones (e.g., telephone 180), or conventional telephones. Such telephonydevices may allow a user to make conventional telephone calls to othertelephony devices using the PSTN, including the video conferenceprovider 110. It should be appreciated that certain computing devicesmay also provide telephony functionality and may operate as telephonydevices. For example, smartphones typically provide cellular telephonecapabilities and thus may operate as telephony devices in the examplesystem 100 shown in FIG. 1. In addition, conventional computing devicesmay execute software to enable telephony functionality, which may allowthe user to make and receive phone calls, e.g., using a headset andmicrophone. Such software may communicate with a PSTN gateway to routethe call from a computer network to the PSTN. Thus, telephony devicesencompass any devices that can making conventional telephone calls andis not limited solely to dedicated telephony devices like conventionaltelephones.

Referring again to client devices 140-160, these devices 140-160 contactthe video conference provider 110 using network 120 and may provideinformation to the video conference provider 110 to access functionalityprovided by the video conference provider 110, such as access to createnew meetings or join existing meetings. To do so, the client devices140-160 may provide user identification information, meetingidentifiers, meeting passwords or passcodes, etc. In examples thatemploy a user identity provider 115, a client device, e.g., clientdevices 140-160, may operate in conjunction with a user identityprovider 115 to provide user identification information or other userinformation to the video conference provider 110.

A user identity provider 115 may be any entity trusted by the videoconference provider 110 that can help identify a user to the videoconference provider 110. For example, a trusted entity may be a serveroperated by a business or other organization and with whom the user hasestablished their identity, such as an employer or trusted third-party.The user may sign into the user identity provider 115, such as byproviding a username and password, to access their identity at the useridentity provider 115. The identity, in this sense, is informationestablished and maintained at the user identity provider 115 that can beused to identify a particular user, irrespective of the client devicethey may be using. An example of an identity may be an email accountestablished at the user identity provider 115 by the user and secured bya password or additional security features, such as biometricauthentication, two-factor authentication, etc. However, identities maybe distinct from functionality such as email. For example, a health careprovider may establish identities for its patients. And while suchidentities may have associated email accounts, the identity is distinctfrom those email accounts. Thus, a user's “identity” relates to asecure, verified set of information that is tied to a particular userand should be accessible only by that user. By accessing the identity,the associated user may then verify themselves to other computingdevices or services, such as the video conference provider 110.

When the user accesses the video conference provider 110 using a clientdevice, the video conference provider 110 communicates with the useridentity provider 115 using information provided by the user to verifythe user's identity. For example, the user may provide a username orcryptographic signature associated with a user identity provider 115.The user identity provider 115 then either confirms the user's identityor denies the request. Based on this response, the video conferenceprovider 110 either provides or denies access to its services,respectively.

For telephony devices, e.g., client devices 170-180, the user may placea telephone call to the video conference provider 110 to accessvideoconference services. After the call is answered, the user mayprovide information regarding a videoconference meeting, e.g., a meetingidentifier (“ID”), a passcode or password, etc., to allow the telephonydevice to join the meeting and participate using audio devices of thetelephony device, e.g., microphone(s) and speaker(s), even if videocapabilities are not provided by the telephony device.

Because telephony devices typically have more limited functionality thanconventional computing devices, they may be unable to provide certaininformation to the video conference provider 110. For example, telephonydevices may be unable to provide user identification information toidentify the telephony device or the user to the video conferenceprovider 110. Thus, the video conference provider 110 may provide morelimited functionality to such telephony devices. For example, the usermay be permitted to join a meeting after providing meeting information,e.g., a meeting identifier and passcode, but they may be identified onlyas an anonymous participant in the meeting. This may restrict theirability to interact with the meetings in some examples, such as bylimiting their ability to speak in the meeting, hear or view certaincontent shared during the meeting, or access other meetingfunctionality, such as joining breakout rooms or engaging in text chatwith other participants in the meeting.

It should be appreciated that users may choose to participate inmeetings anonymously and decline to provide user identificationinformation to the video conference provider 110, even in cases wherethe user has an authenticated identity and employs a client devicecapable of identifying the user to the video conference provider 110.The video conference provider 110 may determine whether to allow suchanonymous users to use services provided by the video conferenceprovider 110. Anonymous users, regardless of the reason for anonymity,may be restricted as discussed above with respect to users employingtelephony devices, and in some cases may be prevented from accessingcertain meetings or other services, or may be entirely prevented fromaccessing the video conference provider.

Referring again to video conference provider 110, in some examples, itmay allow client devices 140-160 to encrypt their respective video andaudio streams to help improve privacy in their meetings. Encryption maybe provided between the client devices 140-160 and the video conferenceprovider 110 or it may be provided in an end-to-end configuration wheremultimedia streams transmitted by the client devices 140-160 are notdecrypted until they are received by another client device 140-160participating in the meeting. Encryption may also be provided duringonly a portion of a communication, for example encryption may be usedfor otherwise unencrypted communications that cross internationalborders.

Client-to-server encryption may be used to secure the communicationsbetween the client devices 140-160 and the video conference provider110, while allowing the video conference provider 110 to access thedecrypted multimedia streams to perform certain processing, such asrecording the meeting for the participants or generating transcripts ofthe meeting for the participants. End-to-end encryption may be used tokeep the meeting entirely private to the participants without any worryabout a video conference provider 110 having access to the substance ofthe meeting. Any suitable encryption methodology may be employed,including key-pair encryption of the streams. For example, to provideend-to-end encryption, the meeting host's client device may obtainpublic keys for each of the other client devices participating in themeeting and securely exchange a set of keys to encrypt and decryptmultimedia content transmitted during the meeting. Thus the clientdevices 140-160 may securely communicate with each other during themeeting. Further, in some examples, certain types of encryption may belimited by the types of devices participating in the meeting. Forexample, telephony devices may lack the ability to encrypt and decryptmultimedia streams. Thus, while encrypting the multimedia streams may bedesirable in many instances, it is not required as it may prevent someusers from participating in a meeting.

By using the example system shown in FIG. 1, users can create andparticipate in meetings using their respective client devices 140-180via the video conference provider 110. Further, such a system enablesusers to use a wide variety of different client devices 140-180 fromtraditional standards-based videoconferencing hardware to dedicatedvideoconferencing equipment to laptop or desktop computers to handhelddevices to legacy telephony devices, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 shows an example system 200 in which avideo conference provider 210 provides videoconferencing functionalityto various client devices 220-250. The client devices 220-250 includetwo conventional computing devices 220-230, dedicated equipment for avideoconference room 240, and a telephony device 250. Each client device220-250 communicates with the video conference provider 210 over acommunications network, such as the internet for client devices 220-240or the PSTN for client device 250, generally as described above withrespect to FIG. 1. The video conference provider 210 is also incommunication with one or more user identity providers 215, which canauthenticate various users to the video conference provider 210generally as described above with respect to FIG. 1.

In this example, the video conference provider 210 employs multipledifferent servers (or groups of servers) to provide different aspects ofvideoconference functionality, thereby enabling the various clientdevices to create and participate in videoconference meetings. The videoconference provider 210 uses one or more real-time media servers 212,one or more network services servers 214, one or more video roomgateways 216, and one or more telephony gateways 218. Each of theseservers 212-218 is connected to one or more communications networks toenable them to collectively provide access to and participation in oneor more videoconference meetings to the client devices 220-250.

The real-time media servers 212 provide multiplexed multimedia streamsto meeting participants, such as the client devices 220-250 shown inFIG. 2. While video and audio streams typically originate at therespective client devices, they are transmitted from the client devices220-250 to the video conference provider 210 via one or more networkswhere they are received by the real-time media servers 212. Thereal-time media servers 212 determine which protocol is optimal basedon, for example, proxy settings and the presence of firewalls, etc. Forexample, the client device might select among UDP, TCP, TLS, or HTTPSfor audio and video and UDP for content screen sharing.

The real-time media servers 212 then multiplex the various video andaudio streams based on the target client device and communicatemultiplexed streams to each client device. For example, the real-timemedia servers 212 receive audio and video streams from client devices220-240 and only an audio stream from client device 250. The real-timemedia servers 212 then multiplex the streams received from devices230-250 and provide the multiplexed stream to client device 220. Thereal-time media servers 212 are adaptive, for example, reacting toreal-time network and client changes, in how they provide these streams.For example, the real-time media servers 212 may monitor parameters suchas a client's bandwidth CPU usage, memory and network I/O as well asnetwork parameters such as packet loss, latency and jitter to determinehow to modify the way in which streams are provided.

The client device 220 receives the stream, performs any decryption,decoding, and demultiplexing on the received streams, and then outputsthe audio and video using the client device's video and audio devices.In this example, the real-time media servers do not multiplex clientdevice 220's own video and audio feeds when transmitting streams to it.Instead each client device 220-250 only receives multimedia streams fromother client devices 220-250. For telephony devices that lack videocapabilities, e.g., client device 250, the real-time media servers 212only deliver multiplex audio streams. The client device 220 may receivemultiple streams for a particular communication, allowing the clientdevice 220 to switch between streams to provide a higher quality ofservice.

In addition to multiplexing multimedia streams, the real-time mediaservers 212 may also decrypt incoming multimedia stream in someexamples. As discussed above, multimedia streams may be encryptedbetween the client devices 220-250 and the video conference provider210. In some such examples, the real-time media servers 212 may decryptincoming multimedia streams, multiplex the multimedia streamsappropriately for the various clients, and encrypt the multiplexedstreams for transmission.

As mentioned above with respect to FIG. 1, the video conference provider210 may provide certain functionality with respect to unencryptedmultimedia streams at a user's request. For example, the meeting hostmay be able to request that the meeting be recorded or that a transcriptof the audio streams be prepared, which may then be performed by thereal-time media servers 212 using the decrypted multimedia streams, orthe recording or transcription functionality may be off-loaded to adedicated server (or servers), e.g., cloud recording servers, forrecording the audio and video streams. In some examples, the videoconference provider 210 may allow a meeting participant to notify it ofinappropriate behavior or content in a meeting. Such a notification maytrigger the real-time media servers to 212 record a portion of themeeting for review by the video conference provider 210. Still otherfunctionality may be implemented to take actions based on the decryptedmultimedia streams at the video conference provider, such as monitoringvideo or audio quality, adjusting or changing media encoding mechanisms,etc.

It should be appreciated that multiple real-time media servers 212 maybe involved in communicating data for a single meeting and multimediastreams may be routed through multiple different real-time media servers212. In addition, the various real-time media servers 212 may not beco-located, but instead may be located at multiple different geographiclocations, which may enable high-quality communications between clientsthat are dispersed over wide geographic areas, such as being located indifferent countries or on different continents. Further, in someexamples, one or more of these servers may be co-located on a client'spremises, e.g., at a business or other organization. For example,different geographic regions may each have one or more real-time mediaservers 212 to enable client devices in the same geographic region tohave a high-quality connection into the video conference provider 210via local servers 212 to send and receive multimedia streams, ratherthan connecting to a real-time media server located in a differentcountry or on a different continent. The local real-time media servers212 may then communicate with physically distant servers usinghigh-speed network infrastructure, e.g., internet backbone network(s),that otherwise might not be directly available to client devices 220-250themselves. Thus, routing multimedia streams may be distributedthroughout the videoconference system 210 and across many differentreal-time media servers 212.

Turning to the network services servers 214, these servers 214 provideadministrative functionality to enable client devices to create orparticipate in meetings, send meeting invitations, create or manage useraccounts or subscriptions, and other related functionality. Further,these servers may be configured to perform different functionalities orto operate at different levels of a hierarchy, e.g., for specificregions or localities, to manage portions of the video conferenceprovider under a supervisory set of servers. When a client device220-250 accesses the video conference provider 210, it will typicallycommunicate with one or more network services servers 214 to accesstheir account or to participate in a meeting.

When a client device 220-250 first contacts the video conferenceprovider 210 in this example, it is routed to a network services server214. The client device may then provide access credentials for a user,e.g., a username and password or single sign-on credentials, to gainauthenticated access to the video conference provider 210. This processmay involve the network services servers 214 contacting a user identityprovider 215 to verify the provided credentials. Once the user'scredentials have been accepted, the network services servers 214 mayperform administrative functionality, like updating user accountinformation, if the user has an identity with the video conferenceprovider 210, or scheduling a new meeting, by interacting with thenetwork services servers 214.

In some examples, users may access the video conference provider 210anonymously. When communicating anonymously, a client device 220-250 maycommunicate with one or more network services servers 214 but onlyprovide information to create or join a meeting, depending on whatfeatures the video conference provider allows for anonymous users. Forexample, an anonymous user may access the video conference providerusing client 220 and provide a meeting ID and passcode. The networkservices server 214 may use the meeting ID to identify an upcoming oron-going meeting and verify the passcode is correct for the meeting ID.After doing so, the network services server(s) 214 may then communicateinformation to the client device 220 to enable the client device 220 tojoin the meeting and communicate with appropriate real-time mediaservers 212.

In cases where a user wishes to schedule a meeting, the user (anonymousor authenticated) may select an option to schedule a new meeting and maythen select various meeting options, such as the date and time for themeeting, the duration for the meeting, a type of encryption to be used,one or more users to invite, privacy controls (e.g., not allowinganonymous users, preventing screen sharing, manually authorize admissionto the meeting, etc.), meeting recording options, etc. The networkservices servers 214 may then create and store a meeting record for thescheduled meeting. When the scheduled meeting time arrives (or within athreshold period of time in advance), the network services server(s) 214may accept requests to join the meeting from various users.

To handle requests to join a meeting, the network services server(s) 214may receive meeting information, such as a meeting ID and passcode, fromone or more client devices 220-250. The network services server(s) 214locate a meeting record corresponding to the provided meeting ID andthen confirm whether the scheduled start time for the meeting hasarrived, whether the meeting host has started the meeting, and whetherthe passcode matches the passcode in the meeting record. If the requestis made by the host, the network services server(s) 214 activates themeeting and connects the host to a real-time media server 212 to enablethe host to begin sending and receiving multimedia streams.

Once the host has started the meeting, subsequent users requestingaccess will be admitted to the meeting if the meeting record is locatedand the passcode matches the passcode supplied by the requesting clientdevice 220-250. In some examples additional access controls may be usedas well. But if the network services server(s) 214 determines to admitthe requesting client device 220-250 to the meeting, the networkservices server 214 identifies a real-time media server 212 to handlemultimedia streams to and from the requesting client device 220-250 andprovides information to the client device 220-250 to connect to theidentified real-time media server 212. Additional client devices 220-250may be added to the meeting as they request access through the networkservices server(s) 214.

After joining a meeting, client devices will send and receive multimediastreams via the real-time media servers 212, but they may alsocommunicate with the network services servers 214 as needed duringmeetings. For example, if the meeting host leaves the meeting, thenetwork services server(s) 214 may appoint another user as the newmeeting host and assign host administrative privileges to that user.Hosts may have administrative privileges to allow them to manage theirmeetings, such as by enabling or disabling screen sharing, muting orremoving users from the meeting, creating sub-meetings or “breakout”rooms, recording meetings, etc. Such functionality may be managed by thenetwork services server(s) 214.

For example, if a host wishes to remove a user from a meeting, they mayidentify the user and issue a command through a user interface on theirclient device. The command may be sent to a network services server 214,which may then disconnect the identified user from the correspondingreal-time media server 212. If the host wishes to create a breakout roomfor one or more meeting participants to join, such a command may also behandled by a network services server 214, which may create a new meetingrecord corresponding to the breakout room and then connect one or moremeeting participants to the breakout room similarly to how it originallyadmitted the participants to the meeting itself.

In addition to creating and administering on-going meetings, the networkservices server(s) 214 may also be responsible for closing and tearingdown meetings once they have completed. For example, the meeting hostmay issue a command to end an on-going meeting, which is sent to anetwork services server 214. The network services server 214 may thenremove any remaining participants from the meeting, communicate with oneor more real time media servers 212 to stop streaming audio and videofor the meeting, and deactivate, e.g., by deleting a correspondingpasscode for the meeting from the meeting record, or delete the meetingrecord(s) corresponding to the meeting. Thus, if a user later attemptsto access the meeting, the network services server(s) 214 may deny therequest.

Depending on the functionality provided by the video conferenceprovider, the network services server(s) 214 may provide additionalfunctionality, such as by providing private meeting capabilities fororganizations, special types of meetings (e.g., webinars), etc. Suchfunctionality may be provided according to various examples of videoconference providers according to this description.

Referring now to the video room gateway servers 216, these servers 216provide an interface between dedicated videoconferencing hardware, suchas may be used in dedicated videoconferencing rooms. Suchvideoconferencing hardware may include one or more cameras andmicrophones and a computing device designed to receive video and audiostreams from each of the cameras and microphones and connect with thevideo conference provider 210. For example, the videoconferencinghardware may be provided by the video conference provider to one or moreof its subscribers, which may provide access credentials to thevideoconferencing hardware to use to connect to the video conferenceprovider.

The video room gateway servers 216 provide specialized authenticationand communication with the dedicated videoconferencing hardware that maynot be available to other client devices 220-230, 250. For example, thevideoconferencing hardware may register with the video conferenceprovider when it is first installed and the video room gateway mayauthenticate the videoconferencing hardware using such registration aswell as information provided to the video room gateway server(s) 216when dedicated videoconferencing hardware connects to it, such as deviceID information, subscriber information, hardware capabilities, hardwareversion information etc. Upon receiving such information andauthenticating the dedicated videoconferencing hardware, the video roomgateway server(s) 216 may interact with the network services servers 214and real-time media servers 212 to allow the videoconferencing hardwareto create or join meetings hosted by the video conference provider 210.

Referring now to the telephony gateway servers 218, these servers 218enable and facilitate telephony devices' participation in meetings hosedby the video conference provider. Because telephony devices communicateusing the PSTN and not using computer networking protocols, such asTCP/IP, the telephony gateway servers 218 act as an interface thatconverts between the PSTN and the networking system used by the videoconference provider 210.

For example, if a user uses a telephony device to connect to a meeting,they may dial a phone number corresponding to one of the videoconference provider's telephony gateway servers 218. The telephonygateway server 218 will answer the call and generate audio messagesrequesting information from the user, such as a meeting ID and passcode.The user may enter such information using buttons on the telephonydevice, e.g., by sending dual-tone multi-frequency (“DTMF”) audiosignals to the telephony gateway server 218. The telephony gatewayserver 218 determines the numbers or letters entered by the user andprovides the meeting ID and passcode information to the network servicesservers 214, along with a request to join or start the meeting,generally as described above. Once the telephony client device 250 hasbeen accepted into a meeting, the telephony gateway server 218 isinstead joined to the meeting on the telephony device's behalf.

After joining the meeting, the telephony gateway server 218 receives anaudio stream from the telephony device and provides it to thecorresponding real-time media server 212, and receives audio streamsfrom the real-time media server 212, decodes them, and provides thedecoded audio to the telephony device. Thus, the telephony gatewayservers 218 operate essentially as client devices, while the telephonydevice operates largely as an input/output device, e.g., a microphoneand speaker, for the corresponding telephony gateway server 218, therebyenabling the user of the telephony device to participate in the meetingdespite not using a computing device or video.

It should be appreciated that the components of the video conferenceprovider 210 discussed above are merely examples of such devices and anexample architecture. Some video conference providers may provide moreor less functionality than described above and may not separatefunctionality into different types of servers as discussed above.Instead, any suitable servers and network architectures may be usedaccording to different examples.

Referring now to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 illustrates an example system 300including waiting queue notifications for hosts in sub-meetings. FIG. 3includes components similar to those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In thisexample, the system 300 includes a public user identity provider 315through which individuals can establish identities that may be used toaccess various online services, including videoconference servicesprovided by the video conference provider 310. In this example, whenusers attempt to access videoconferences hosted by the video conferenceprovider 310, the video conference provider 310 attempts to verify eachparticipant, such as by communicating with the user identity provider315.

When a user establishes an identity with the user identity provider 315,they provide certain personal information, such as a name, address,birth date, email address(es), etc. The user identity provider 315 maythen establish an identity for the user that provides certainfunctionality, such as an identity indicator (e.g., an account or username), cryptographic signatures, etc., that the user may employ toaccess various online services. In some examples, the user may be ableto connect to the video conference provider 310 and login into anaccount with the video conference provider 310 using the user identityprovider 315 to access functionality provided by the video conferenceprovider 310. However, in some examples, a participant or host of avideoconference may not have, or may not want, an account with the videoconference provider 310.

To accommodate such unregistered users, the video conference provider310 may require users to provide a user identifier, such as an identityestablished with the user identity provider, before admitting them to avideoconference or allowing them to create a videoconference. Afterreceiving the user's identity and potentially additional information,such as cryptographic information, the network services server(s) 314operated by the video conference provider 310 may communicate with theuser identity provider 315 to verify that the identity is valid and toauthenticate the user. After verifying the user's identity, the videoconference provider 310 may then admit them to a scheduled meeting,admit them to a waiting queue for a scheduled meeting, or allow them tohost a scheduled meeting.

Using such a publicly available user identity provider may providebroader access to videoconferencing services without requiringindividuals to register with the video conference provider. This mayreduce the burden on the user, who may instead be able to use anexisting identity.

Participants in a videoconferencing meeting taking place on system 300use client devices 340-380 connected either using network 320 or PSTN330. In this example, the participant using client device 340 is a hostof a videoconferencing meeting. The host may be granted administrativeprivileges by the video conference provider 310 to allow client device340 to manage meetings, such as by enabling or disabling screen sharing,muting or removing users from the meeting, admitting users from thewaiting queue, creating sub-meetings or “breakout” rooms, recordingmeetings, etc. Such functionality may be managed by the network servicesserver(s) 314 at the video conference provider 310. Client devices 350,360, and 365 are used by participant A, participant B, and participantC, respectively, to access the videoconferencing meeting taking place onsystem 300. Client device 370 is used by participant D to access thevideoconferencing meeting taking place on system 300. The host maydesignate any participant as a co-host (not shown). Co-hosts, throughtheir respective client devices, may be granted administrativeprivileges equal to the host by the video conference provider 310, ormay have a subset of administrative privileges according to differentexamples, such as managing sub-meetings using their respective clientdevices.

Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 shows another example system 400 forproviding notifications to and managing a waiting queue fromvideoconferencing sub-meetings. Example system 400 includes videoconference provider 410 and network services server(s) 414. Resources ofthe video conference provider 410 can include stored, meetingconnections 416, stored acceptance criteria 418, and stored sub-meetingpre-assignments 420. The stored meeting connections include identifiersfor each participant and host as well as meetings to which eachparticipant and host is subscribed. A subscription to a meeting can befor one or more multimedia data streams (e.g., audio or video streams)and/or control streams. A participant or host, through a client device,can be subscribed to multiple meetings, e.g., the host can be subscribedto control streams from one meeting and can also be subscribed tomultimedia streams from another meeting. Thus, a subscription to ameeting may involve being subscribed to multiple different data streamsassociated with that meeting. The stored meeting connections provide areference that can be used for messaging and other services to determinewhich streams a particular participant (whether a host or not) issubscribed to. Client devices for these participants are connected tothe meeting servers, including network services servers 414 using TCP orUDP. For example, a service connection may be maintained using TCP anddata may be exchanged using UDP. For purposes of a host being able toreceive notifications while in a breakout room, a stored meetingconnection of the host to the main meeting ensures that the host istreated as part of the main meeting for messaging purposes when the hostis participating in a sub-meeting.

Stored acceptance criteria 418 can include, as examples, whether anotification of a request to move a participant is sent to theparticipant, and whether the move is stopped if the participant does notaccept, or does not accept within a certain amount of time. Thenotification can be transmitted selectively based on the criteria, thatis, transmitted if specified, or omitted if not specified. If nonotification is specified as part of the criteria, the action can beexecuted when invoked, taking into account any normal system delays. Asan example, if the acceptance criteria require notification to theparticipant, the notification can take the form of a pop-up windowpresented on the client device of the participant that states that theparticipant is being invited to a breakout room or back to the mainroom, as the case may be. The pop-up window can also provide virtualbuttons that can be selected by the participant to accept the invitationor to remain in place.

Sub-meeting pre-assignments 420 include a list of participants orcharacteristics of participants for which an assignment to a sub-meetinghas been made in advance and stored. For example, such pre-assignmentscan be made by a meeting host, either for a specific meeting or asstanding pre-assignments. With sub-meeting pre-assignments 420, aparticipant can be assigned to a sub-meeting automatically as soon asthe participant is moved from a waiting queue to a main meeting. In thisexample, the move is subject to acceptance criteria 418 just as would bethe case if a host assigned the participant to a sub-meeting in realtime using a control input at a client device.

System 400 in this example is maintaining a sub-meeting (breakout room)450 including the host, participant A, and participant B. System 400 isalso maintaining a main meeting room 465 including participant C. System400 is also maintaining a waiting queue (waiting room) 470 in whichparticipant D is waiting to be admitted to the videoconferencingmeeting. The main videoconferencing meeting 465 can be presented tousers as a virtual meeting room with visual representations of some orall of the participants provided either by their respective video feedor an identifier, such as their name. Sub-meeting 450 can be presentedto users as a virtual breakout room, similarly to how the main meetingis presented to users. System 400 can create additional sub-meetings asneeded. Each virtual room includes participants, the identities of whichcan be accessed and presented as a list in a user interface displayed byclient devices with appropriate display capabilities. The experience ofvideoconferencing using virtual rooms thus substantially replicates theexperience of holding a gathering in a main conference room in whichparticipants divide into groups and meet in additional conference roomsor offices.

In system 400, once the videoconferencing session associated with a hosthas been established and the host has moved to sub-meeting 450,participant D is authenticated and enters waiting queue 470. Anotification 485 a that participant D is in the waiting queue isgenerated at network services servers 414. Since the host is listed inthe meeting connections 416 as subscribed to the main meeting 465, thenotification is routed at 485 b through the connection to the mainmeeting by default. The system then checks meeting subscriptions for thehost and determines that the host is now also subscribed to thesub-meeting 450. A second notification is then generated and routed at485 c to sub-meeting 450 where it can be displayed to the host. Acontrol input 490 directed to admitting participant D to thevideoconferencing meeting can be provided by the host, for example,using client device 340. The input directed to admitting the participantto the videoconferencing meeting can be provided selectively, that is itcan be provided, not provided, or an input directing that participant Dnot be admitted to the meeting can be provided.

In the example of system 400, participant D may be admitted to mainmeeting 465 and then assigned to sub-meeting 450 by the host. In thiscase, a connection for both media and control to the main meeting isinitially established for participant D. When participant D is moved tothe sub-meeting, participant D then subscribes to the sub-meeting, e.g.,a connection is established between participant D and one or more dataor control streams from the sub-meeting 450. In addition, participant Dis unsubscribed from the main meeting. Thus, the stored meetingconnections are updated to reflect participant D being moved to thesub-meeting. Alternatively, a sub-meeting pre-assignment for participantD may be stored among sub-meeting pre-assignments 420. In such a case,participant D may be moved automatically to sub-meeting 450.Alternatively, participant D may be moved to a second sub-meeting (notshown) created based on the pre-assignment, or created in advance. Inthe case of any of these moves, acceptance criteria 418 may be applied,for example, requiring participant D to be given notice of theassignment and to accept an invitation to the sub-meeting.

Referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 shows another example system 500 forproviding notifications to and managing a waiting queue fromvideoconferencing sub-meetings. Example system 500 includes meetingserver 513. Meeting server 513 may also be referred to as a multimediarouter and can be implemented by the real-time media servers 212 workingwith the network services servers 214. The meeting server maintainsstored representations of the meetings and sub-meetings taking place inthe system so that the meeting server can keep track of the status ofmeetings and sub-meetings without constantly exchanging this informationwith client devices. Some client devices also maintain storedrepresentations of the meetings or sub-meetings to which the associatedparticipant or host is subscribed so that virtual meeting rooms can bedisplayed to the user. System 500 includes a waiting queuerepresentation 520 maintained on a client device and a waiting queuerepresentation 570 on meeting server 513. In this example, the waitingqueue includes participant B. System 500 also includes a main meetingroom representation 530 on a client device, and a main meeting roomrepresentation 565 on meeting server 513. In this example, no users arevisible in the main meeting room.

In system 500, the host maintains a connection to the main meeting roomspecified in meeting connections 416. System 500 also includes breakoutroom representation 535 maintained on a client device and breakout roomrepresentation 550 maintained on meeting server 513. The breakout roomincludes the host and participant A. Communication with the waitingqueue and meeting room in system 500 may be restricted to commands andmessaging as indicated by the single arrows in FIG. 5. However, sincecurrent meeting participants are in the breakout room, communicationwith the breakout room also includes a media connection, audio/video(A/V) stream 595.

Referring now to the method 600 illustrated in FIG. 6, FIG. 6 shows anexample method 600 for providing notifications to and managing a waitingqueue from videoconferencing sub-meetings. The description of the method600 in FIG. 6 will be made with reference to the system 400 shown inFIG. 4; however any suitable system according to this disclosure may beused, such as the example systems 100, 200, 300, and 500 shown in FIGS.1, 2, 3, and 5.

At block 605, a processor at video conference provider 410 establishes avideoconferencing session including a main meeting, a waiting queue, andat least a first sub-meeting. The videoconferencing session isassociated with at least one host within meeting connections 416. Atblock 620, the host moves from main meeting 465 to sub-meeting 450. Atblock 625, a request is received from a participant to join thevideoconferencing session. For example, the request may come fromparticipant D. At block 635, video conference provider 410 generates anotification that the participant has entered the waiting queue, forexample, waiting queue 470. Since the host is listed in the meetingconnections 416 as subscribed to the main meeting, and notifications arerouted to the main meeting by default, at block 640, a determination ismade as to whether the host has entered a first sub-meeting. When thehost is in the sub-meeting, the processor uses the stored connectionbetween the host and the main meeting to route the notification to thehost in the sub-meeting at block 645. By checking the meetingsubscriptions for a stored connection to a sub-meeting, the processorcan determine if an additional notification is necessary. Otherwise, thehost might not receive the notification, because main meetings andsub-meetings are treated as separate meetings by the system. At block650, a control input is received from the host, through a host clientdevice, to admit the participant from the waiting room 470 to thevideoconferencing meeting. In this example, participant D is admittedfrom waiting queue 470 to the main meeting 465 at block 660 of method600.

Process 600 can optionally end with the new participant in the mainmeeting at block 660. Optionally, action may be taken at block 670 toautomatically move the participant to a first or second sub-meeting inaccordance with a stored pre-assignments 420. Alternatively, the hostmay manually move the participant to a sub-meeting. In this case, videoconference provider 410 receives host control input directing the moveat block 680. The control input can be received from the host through ahost client device. In either case, the participant may be moved to asub-meeting in response, or an invitation and acceptance processaccording to stored acceptance criteria may take place at block 690.

It should be appreciated that the example method 600 may be executed indifferent orders or multiple blocks may occur substantiallysimultaneously. For example, blocks 620 or 625 may occur while a meetingis established at block 605. Further, block 660 may be skipped and aparticipant may be moved directly from the waiting queue to asub-meeting, or block 660 and 670 may be executed simultaneously.

Referring now to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 shows an example computing device 700suitable for use in example systems or methods for providingnotifications to and managing a waiting queue from videoconferencingsub-meetings. The example computing device 700 includes a processor 710which is in communication with the memory 720 and other components ofthe computing device 700 using one or more communications buses 702. Theprocessor 710 is configured to execute processor-executable instructionsstored in the memory 720 to perform one or more methods for providingwaiting notifications and managing a waiting queue according todifferent examples, such as part or all of the example methods 500, 600described above with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6. The computing device, inthis example, also includes one or more user input devices 750, such asa keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, video input device (e.g., one or morecameras), microphone, etc., to accept user input. The computing device700 also includes a display 740 to provide visual output to a user.

The computing device 700 also includes a communications interface 730.In some examples, the communications interface 730 may enablecommunications using one or more networks, including a local areanetwork (“LAN”); wide area network (“WAN”), such as the Internet;metropolitan area network (“MAN”); point-to-point or peer-to-peerconnection; etc. Communication with other devices may be accomplishedusing any suitable networking protocol. For example, one suitablenetworking protocol may include the Internet Protocol (“IP”),Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”), User Datagram Protocol (“UDP”),or combinations thereof, such as TCP/IP or UDP/IP.

While some examples of methods and systems herein are described in termsof software executing on various machines, the methods and systems mayalso be implemented as specifically-configured hardware, such asfield-programmable gate array (FPGA) specifically to execute the variousmethods according to this disclosure. For example, examples can beimplemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware,firmware, software, or in a combination thereof. In one example, adevice may include a processor or processors. The processor comprises acomputer-readable medium, such as a random access memory (RAM) coupledto the processor. The processor executes computer-executable programinstructions stored in memory, such as executing one or more computerprograms. Such processors may comprise a microprocessor, a digitalsignal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit(ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and state machines. Suchprocessors may further comprise programmable electronic devices such asPLCs, programmable interrupt controllers (PICs), programmable logicdevices (PLDs), programmable read-only memories (PROMs), electronicallyprogrammable read-only memories (EPROMs or EEPROMs), or other similardevices.

Such processors may comprise, or may be in communication with, media,for example one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, that maystore processor-executable instructions that, when executed by theprocessor, can cause the processor to perform methods according to thisdisclosure as carried out, or assisted, by a processor. Examples ofnon-transitory computer-readable medium may include, but are not limitedto, an electronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage device capable ofproviding a processor, such as the processor in a web server, withprocessor-executable instructions. Other examples of non-transitorycomputer-readable media include, but are not limited to, a floppy disk,CD-ROM, magnetic disk, memory chip, ROM, RAM, ASIC, configuredprocessor, all optical media, all magnetic tape or other magnetic media,or any other medium from which a computer processor can read. Theprocessor, and the processing, described may be in one or morestructures, and may be dispersed through one or more structures. Theprocessor may comprise code to carry out methods (or parts of methods)according to this disclosure.

The foregoing description of some examples has been presented only forthe purpose of illustration and description and is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed.Numerous modifications and adaptations thereof will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of thedisclosure.

Reference herein to an example or implementation means that a particularfeature, structure, operation, or other characteristic described inconnection with the example may be included in at least oneimplementation of the disclosure. The disclosure is not restricted tothe particular examples or implementations described as such. Theappearance of the phrases “in one example,” “in an example,” “in oneimplementation,” or “in an implementation,” or variations of the same invarious places in the specification does not necessarily refer to thesame example or implementation. Any particular feature, structure,operation, or other characteristic described in this specification inrelation to one example or implementation may be combined with otherfeatures, structures, operations, or other characteristics described inrespect of any other example or implementation.

Use herein of the word “or” is intended to cover inclusive and exclusiveOR conditions. In other words, A or B or C includes any or all of thefollowing alternative combinations as appropriate for a particularusage: A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B only; A and C only; B and Conly; and A and B and C.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a processor; and atleast one memory device including instructions that are executable bythe processor to cause the processor to: establish a videoconferencingsession associated with a host, the videoconferencing session includinga main meeting, a first sub-meeting, and a waiting queue; move the hostfrom the main meeting to the first sub-meeting; create, in a stored listof meeting connections identifying subscribed data streams formessaging, a stored connection between the host and the main meeting;and route, to the host in the first sub-meeting, using the storedconnection between the host and the main meeting, a notificationassociated with the waiting queue.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein thestored connection comprises a media connection and a control connection.3. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification is configured toindicate that a participant has entered the waiting queue, and whereinthe instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processorto, in response to a control input received from the host: admit theparticipant to the videoconferencing session; and create, in the storedlist of meeting connections, at least one connection for theparticipant.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions areexecutable by the processor to cause the processor to move theparticipant from the waiting queue to the main meeting.
 5. The system ofclaim 3, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor tocause the processor to move the participant to the first or a secondsub-meeting in accordance with a stored, sub-meeting pre-assignment. 6.The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions are executable by theprocessor to cause the processor to receive a control input from thehost directed to move the participant to the first or a secondsub-meeting.
 7. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions areexecutable by the processor to cause the processor to selectivelytransmit an invitation for and receive an acceptance of assignment ofthe participant to the first or a second sub-meeting in accordance withstored acceptance criteria.
 8. A method comprising: establishing avideoconferencing session associated with a host, the videoconferencingsession including a main meeting, a first sub-meeting, and a waitingqueue; moving the host from the main meeting to the first sub-meeting;creating, in a stored list of meeting connections identifying subscribeddata streams for messaging, a stored connection between the host and themain meeting; and routing, to the host in the first sub-meeting, usingthe stored connection between the host and the main meeting, anotification associated with the waiting queue.
 9. The method of claim8, wherein the stored connection comprises a media connection and acontrol connection.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the notificationis configured to indicate that a participant has entered the waitingqueue, the method further comprising: admitting the participant to thevideoconferencing session; and creating, in the stored list of meetingconnections, at least one connection for the participant.
 11. The methodof claim 10, further comprising moving the participant from the waitingqueue to the main meeting.
 12. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising moving the participant to the first or a second sub-meetingin accordance with a stored, sub-meeting pre-assignment.
 13. The methodof claim 10, further comprising receiving a control input from the hostdirected to move the participant to the first or a second sub-meeting.14. The method of claim 10, further comprising selectively transmittingan invitation for and receive an acceptance of assignment of theparticipant to the first or a second sub-meeting in accordance withstored acceptance criteria.
 15. A non-transitory computer-readablemedium comprising code that is executable by a processor for causing theprocessor to: establish a videoconferencing session associated with ahost, the videoconferencing session including a main meeting, a firstsub-meeting, and a waiting queue; move the host from the main meeting tothe first sub-meeting; create, in a stored list of meeting connectionsidentifying subscribed data streams for messaging, a stored connectionbetween the host and the main meeting; and route, to the host in thefirst sub-meeting, using the stored connection between the host and themain meeting, a notification associated with the waiting queue.
 16. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein thenotification is configured to indicate that a participant has enteredthe waiting queue, and wherein the code is executable by the processorto, in response to a control input received from the host: admit theparticipant to the videoconferencing session; and create, in the storedlist of meeting connections, at least one connection for theparticipant.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim16, wherein the code is executable by the processor to move theparticipant from the waiting queue to the main meeting.
 18. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the code isexecutable by the processor to move the participant to the first or asecond sub-meeting in accordance with a stored, sub-meetingpre-assignment.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim16, wherein the code is executable by the processor to receive a controlinput from the host directed to move the participant to the first or asecond sub-meeting.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 16, wherein the code is executable by the processor to selectivelytransmit an invitation for and receive an acceptance of assignment ofthe participant to the first or a second sub-meeting in accordance withstored acceptance criteria.